contax g2 user looking for DSLR

[ormus]

i am looking to get an all around DSLR with the feel of a rangefinder,the quality of the contax images. i have a small panasonic LX2 which is great but just not the same as a bigger sensor.
i like the look of the pana L1, but seems the image quality is not on par with the glass or the price. the pentax k10d seems nice with seals and body design. canon seems to be the cleanest image but seems the bodies are too plasticy in the lower price range.any suggestion? thank you!

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Have you checked the which camera should I buy threads on this site?

Without knowing what your intended use is, what you're willing to spend etc it's hard to spend your money for you.

A lot of it's going to come down to what you think of them when you physically hold and have a go with them in a shop.

Oh and I don't think you should have the opinion that one brand or another generally outperforms the other across the range. If one maker was superior in all ways then it'd have the lions share of the market and the other manufacturer would be broke. Each camera has its good and bad points.

[ormus]

i want to spend around $1000, but if i get a cheaper body and a better lens i would go higher. that said, the usage is mostly landscapes and portraits, low light performance could be an issue too.

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

I'm not knowledgeable enough to give you specific advice but I've learnt some general stuff.

The portraits are going to be best with a 50mm lens (x1.5 for most DSLRs with a crop factor = 75mm equivalent in 35mm format) at the shortest or better an 85mm lens (x1.5 for most DSLRs = 130 mm equivalent in 35mm format) at the longest. That distance (50mm-80mm lens) from the subject gives a more flattering look to the face due to perspective.

Each manufacturer is going to have a kit lens that covers that range that'll do a nice job. Alternatively some people supplement their kit zooms with a 50mm prime lens most commonly for portraits. The advantage of having an extra prime lens in this range is that it has a wider apperture (smaller F number) which gives more flexibility to control depth of field. By blurring the background like this the subject can really be made to stand out. The 50mm prime lens' are pretty cheap but the 80mm lenses get proportionally dearer. For example the Nikon 50mm lens is only around $100-150. Note at least on the cheaper Nikon bodies D40/D40X or D60 any prime lenses would have to be manually focussed. The higher end Nikon bodies like the D80 and above will autofocus the prime lens' though.

The landscapes are going to be best with a wide angle like 18mm or so. This is the sort of range covered nicely by many kit zoom lens'.

I'd consider models like Canons' XTi or XSi. Nikon have the D40 or D40X or D60in ascending price order. I almost bought the Nikon D80 as it wasn't much dearer than the D40X since I liked the build quality and increased features.
I know nothing about the other brands.

One of the budget bodies (the one you like when you physically lay hands on it and test dirve it at the shop) plus 1 or 2 kit lenses should come in around$1,000.